The story revolves around the life of Leopold, a middle-class father; his wife Isabel working for a decadent comedian; Beto, the son, a taxi driver; and Martita, the daughter, a divorced and unemployed hairdresser. All live in 'harmony' in a 40 square-meter apartment. One day Leopoldo takes it upon himself to donate blood. The next day, he is summoned once more to the hospital. His life is about to change, and radically so.

Following his mother`s death, wise son Sebastian attempts to organise dad Nestor to cope with basic household chores. Sebastian shows Nestor how to light the oven. Later Nestor can't fix a broken lamp, but his son soon sorts it out. Nestor wants to act and invent money raising schemes whereas Sebastian yearns for a dad with a steady job. Nestor gets a role in an ad and pursues acting work. He seeks backing to market ping pong balls with world cup logos though the event has passed. The essence of the story revolves around how these conflicting aspirations can be reconciled.

Mama Cora, who is almost eighty years old, has three sons and a daughter. She lives with one of them, who has serious financial problems. The family meets one day to celebrate an anniversary meal, and that is when the problem arises: which of them will take care of her?

1998 film by Carlos Saura